Microsoft’s HelpBridge helps you reach out in a disaster

When a disaster strikes, the first thing people want to do is make contact with their friends and loved ones. Are the people you know near the affected location OK? And if you’re in the vicinity of a disaster, you want to reach out and let people know your status – or to ask for help.

Microsoft on Wednesday released a free smartphone app called HelpBridge that facilitates communication during disasters. It makes it easy to contact people and let them know your status, donate cash or goods to aid agencies and even volunteer to help.

HelpBridge is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. It requires that you sign in either with your Microsoft account – the same login used for Hotmail, online Outlook or Windows 8/Windows Phone – or Facebook.

When you first download and install it, the app asks for access to your contacts. This is used let you build a list of people to be contacted in case of an emergency. You can create different contact groups for different situations, such one for family and another for your employer.

I found a glitch in the group-creation process. I tried to search my contact list for Silverman, so I could add family members, but nothing showed up, even though that name appears often among my contacts. But when I started typing people’s first names, they showed up instantly.

Once you’ve built your groups, you’re taken to HelpBridge’s main screen. From here, you can send a message saying you’re OK, or that you need assistance.You can send the message via SMS, email or as a Facebook post. You can also use your smartphone’s GPS to include a map with your location .

Tapping on the Text to Give button gives you a list of agencies accepting relief donations, and the PayPal button lets you pay through that service. You can also get a list of agencies that need volunteers, and even see descriptions of the work that’s needed.

In Houston, where tropical weather can have horrific consequences, the value of HelpBridge is obvious. If you’ve got a smartphone, it’s worth the download. Hopefully, you’ll never need it, but it’s nice to know it’s in your app arsenal if disaster strikes.